Chapter 11: More Updates
Dr. Adams walked into the waiting room and approached the group. Misty was the first to see him and immediately began to panic because last time a nurse had brought them an update. She feared that if Dr. Adams was there then something was wrong.
"Oh God. Something's happened, hasn't it?" Misty asked, fear apparent in her voice.
"No. Everything is going very well. I'm sorry I scared you. The reason I came with the update myself is because I got to a point where I could take the time to do so. We almost have the donor portion of Brock's liver detached and we're about to start preparing to place it into Ash. It takes a while to complete the first process so that's why it has taken a little longer to bring you news of what is going on."
"How are Ash and Brock holding up?" Angelica voiced the question that she had been afraid to ask before.
"They are both doing perfectly. There have been no complications at all. Because of the time that it will take to transplant the liver portion I'm going to forego another update and let you know when it's all over." Dr. Adams said reassuringly. "I really need to get back now."
"Okay. Thank you." Misty said as Dr. Adams turned and left the room.
As soon as Dr. Adams left, Angelica sat down in a chair, put her head in her hands and started trembling. Misty went and sat beside her and tried to comfort her.
"Angelica, what's the matter?" Misty asked
"I'm just so afraid. I can't help feeling completely terrified." Angelica said and then broke down crying. Misty put her arms around her friend and pulled her into a hug.
"Hey. I need to get out of here for a second. I'll be back in a while. Come on, Umbreon." Gary said.
"What's the matter, Gary? Is something wrong?" Delia asked.
"Not really. I just need to think and clear some things out of my head. I won't be long."
* * * * *
Once Gary had taken his leave of the others, he went to Brock's room to fulfill the promise that he had made to Brock earlier. He had to think for a moment before he could remember where Brock had told him the engagement ring was. He then recalled that it was in Brock's vest pocket so he immediately went to get it and he tucked it away in his own pocket where it was certain that Angelica wouldn't see it.
"Don't worry, Brock. I'll keep this safe for you until the time is right." Gary said to himself.
* * * * *
Back in the waiting room, Misty was still trying to comfort Angelica and convince her that everything was going to be okay. It was a very frightening situation that they were both in and Misty could understand why Angelica was so afraid.
"I do understand why you are so afraid but what I don't understand is why you have such a bad feeling about this thing. It is a very heroic thing that Brock is doing and people are not taken for doing things like this. I know this is true and now I'm sharing it with you so you can have something to hold onto until this is all over and maybe beyond that. You need to have faith in this thing that I told you." Misty said.
"I will. That really helps and it is something that I can hold onto. I needed to hear that. Thanks, Misty." Angelica said with a smile.
"You're welcome. I knew that you probably needed to hear it."
"Pika pi pikachu pika, Pikachupi? Pi pika Pikapi pi pika pika chu pika pikachu." (Are you feeling okay, Misty? I think Ash will be excited about the baby.) Pikachu said.
"I feel fine, Pikachu. The only thing I need right now is for Ash to come out of surgery so that I can see him and see with my own eyes that he's okay." Misty said as she patted Pikachu on the head and cuddled him.
"You never cease to amaze me, Misty." Carla said suddenly.
"Why's that?" Misty asked.
"Because here you are with your husband in surgery and you've just figured out that you're pregnant and you're still so calm and trying to help Angelica stay calm. How do you do it?"
"Misty always has been the strong one." Tracey smiled.
"Pi pika pika." (That's right.) Pikachu agreed.
"It's not always easy to be strong. Tracey, you saw how scared I was earlier when they were preparing Ash for surgery. I almost fell apart then. I'm able to be strong now because I know that it's what Ash would tell me to do if he were able. Plus I know now that I have an unborn son or daughter to consider."
"I still don't think it's hit me yet that I'm going to be a grandmother. It will be nice to have a small person around again that I can help to take care of like I always took care of Ash when he was little." Delia said with a grin. Just then, Gary arrived back in the waiting room, followed by Umbreon.
"Where did you go?" Angelica asked.
"While you and Misty were talking earlier I left so I could clear my head. Umbreon and I just went for a walk around. It really helped me to sort out some things that I needed to think on." Gary said, only half truthfully.
"Oh. Okay. I understand." Angelica was convinced by Gary's fabrication.
"I wish this whole thing were over and done with. Not only is this about Ash and Brock now but also we have two other people to think about. All of the pressure and stress can't be good for Misty and if she gets upset it may hurt the baby. The sooner this is over, the better." Tracey said.
"No one wishes this were over more than Angelica and I do. Like I said earlier I'll feel so much better when I can be with Ash and see with my own eyes that he's okay." Misty agreed.
"Ash and Brock are both going to be fine." Gary announced.
"How do you know?" Angelica asked.
"Simple. Brock is a very strong guy. It'll take more that something like this to get him down. I know Ash is going to come through because he is the most stubborn person I've ever met. I've never known Ash to give up ever and I don't see this being anything different."
"You're right, Gary." Misty conceded and Angelica only smiled.
"Well, it shouldn't be much longer. Misty said earlier that the doctor told her the whole surgery would last about four hours and they've been in there for three and a half hours now. It should be over in about thirty minutes." Professor Oak said, trying to sound optimistic.
The mood in the room was a tense one as they all waited for news on the outcome of the surgery. They were all holding on to hope and hoping for the best possible outcome.
For the next thirty minutes the group sat in silence just taking strength from each other's company but none of them daring to say a word. They all had the same thing on their minds and that was worry and fear about the situation that the people they all cared about were facing.
Ten minutes later, Dr. Adams came back to the waiting room. Once he had gotten all of their attention, he said the four words that all of them had been waiting for the past hours to hear.
"The surgery is over."
Dr. Adams walked into the waiting room and approached the group. Misty was the first to see him and immediately began to panic because last time a nurse had brought them an update. She feared that if Dr. Adams was there then something was wrong.
"Oh God. Something's happened, hasn't it?" Misty asked, fear apparent in her voice.
"No. Everything is going very well. I'm sorry I scared you. The reason I came with the update myself is because I got to a point where I could take the time to do so. We almost have the donor portion of Brock's liver detached and we're about to start preparing to place it into Ash. It takes a while to complete the first process so that's why it has taken a little longer to bring you news of what is going on."
"How are Ash and Brock holding up?" Angelica voiced the question that she had been afraid to ask before.
"They are both doing perfectly. There have been no complications at all. Because of the time that it will take to transplant the liver portion I'm going to forego another update and let you know when it's all over." Dr. Adams said reassuringly. "I really need to get back now."
"Okay. Thank you." Misty said as Dr. Adams turned and left the room.
As soon as Dr. Adams left, Angelica sat down in a chair, put her head in her hands and started trembling. Misty went and sat beside her and tried to comfort her.
"Angelica, what's the matter?" Misty asked
"I'm just so afraid. I can't help feeling completely terrified." Angelica said and then broke down crying. Misty put her arms around her friend and pulled her into a hug.
"Hey. I need to get out of here for a second. I'll be back in a while. Come on, Umbreon." Gary said.
"What's the matter, Gary? Is something wrong?" Delia asked.
"Not really. I just need to think and clear some things out of my head. I won't be long."
* * * * *
Once Gary had taken his leave of the others, he went to Brock's room to fulfill the promise that he had made to Brock earlier. He had to think for a moment before he could remember where Brock had told him the engagement ring was. He then recalled that it was in Brock's vest pocket so he immediately went to get it and he tucked it away in his own pocket where it was certain that Angelica wouldn't see it.
"Don't worry, Brock. I'll keep this safe for you until the time is right." Gary said to himself.
* * * * *
Back in the waiting room, Misty was still trying to comfort Angelica and convince her that everything was going to be okay. It was a very frightening situation that they were both in and Misty could understand why Angelica was so afraid.
"I do understand why you are so afraid but what I don't understand is why you have such a bad feeling about this thing. It is a very heroic thing that Brock is doing and people are not taken for doing things like this. I know this is true and now I'm sharing it with you so you can have something to hold onto until this is all over and maybe beyond that. You need to have faith in this thing that I told you." Misty said.
"I will. That really helps and it is something that I can hold onto. I needed to hear that. Thanks, Misty." Angelica said with a smile.
"You're welcome. I knew that you probably needed to hear it."
"Pika pi pikachu pika, Pikachupi? Pi pika Pikapi pi pika pika chu pika pikachu." (Are you feeling okay, Misty? I think Ash will be excited about the baby.) Pikachu said.
"I feel fine, Pikachu. The only thing I need right now is for Ash to come out of surgery so that I can see him and see with my own eyes that he's okay." Misty said as she patted Pikachu on the head and cuddled him.
"You never cease to amaze me, Misty." Carla said suddenly.
"Why's that?" Misty asked.
"Because here you are with your husband in surgery and you've just figured out that you're pregnant and you're still so calm and trying to help Angelica stay calm. How do you do it?"
"Misty always has been the strong one." Tracey smiled.
"Pi pika pika." (That's right.) Pikachu agreed.
"It's not always easy to be strong. Tracey, you saw how scared I was earlier when they were preparing Ash for surgery. I almost fell apart then. I'm able to be strong now because I know that it's what Ash would tell me to do if he were able. Plus I know now that I have an unborn son or daughter to consider."
"I still don't think it's hit me yet that I'm going to be a grandmother. It will be nice to have a small person around again that I can help to take care of like I always took care of Ash when he was little." Delia said with a grin. Just then, Gary arrived back in the waiting room, followed by Umbreon.
"Where did you go?" Angelica asked.
"While you and Misty were talking earlier I left so I could clear my head. Umbreon and I just went for a walk around. It really helped me to sort out some things that I needed to think on." Gary said, only half truthfully.
"Oh. Okay. I understand." Angelica was convinced by Gary's fabrication.
"I wish this whole thing were over and done with. Not only is this about Ash and Brock now but also we have two other people to think about. All of the pressure and stress can't be good for Misty and if she gets upset it may hurt the baby. The sooner this is over, the better." Tracey said.
"No one wishes this were over more than Angelica and I do. Like I said earlier I'll feel so much better when I can be with Ash and see with my own eyes that he's okay." Misty agreed.
"Ash and Brock are both going to be fine." Gary announced.
"How do you know?" Angelica asked.
"Simple. Brock is a very strong guy. It'll take more that something like this to get him down. I know Ash is going to come through because he is the most stubborn person I've ever met. I've never known Ash to give up ever and I don't see this being anything different."
"You're right, Gary." Misty conceded and Angelica only smiled.
"Well, it shouldn't be much longer. Misty said earlier that the doctor told her the whole surgery would last about four hours and they've been in there for three and a half hours now. It should be over in about thirty minutes." Professor Oak said, trying to sound optimistic.
The mood in the room was a tense one as they all waited for news on the outcome of the surgery. They were all holding on to hope and hoping for the best possible outcome.
For the next thirty minutes the group sat in silence just taking strength from each other's company but none of them daring to say a word. They all had the same thing on their minds and that was worry and fear about the situation that the people they all cared about were facing.
Ten minutes later, Dr. Adams came back to the waiting room. Once he had gotten all of their attention, he said the four words that all of them had been waiting for the past hours to hear.
"The surgery is over."